Shinichiro Yoshimori: A Meddlesome Venture on a Tropical Island

2023/03/14

The "Ideal of Illusion"—this refers to a misunderstanding I had on the tropical island where I was stationed as a corporate employee. The manageable scale of the place and the perceived immaturity of the people and society led me to believe, "I can surely do something to change this country and its people."

More than ten years ago, I became involved in a project to revive Sri Lanka's "phantom" coffee out of personal meddling. At the time, it was like a misunderstood hobby—tinkering in a miniature garden—by a few passionate individuals. However, because we kept playing at it despite repeated failures, the quality eventually reached a level that won an award at the International Institute of Coffee Tasters (IIAC 2016). In a country so famous for tea, the fact that coffee is beginning to establish itself as a brand by borrowing that prestige is truly exhilarating.

Based at a coffee business and café we established in the World Heritage hill country of Kandy, it is also delightful to be able to introduce things like Coffee Leaf Tea (Ceylon Thé Café), made from young coffee leaves, to the world. However, the "Ideal of Illusion" I mentioned at the beginning is a troublesome thing.

Almost all the employees and production cooperative members I work with on this island are women. Even if they appear to want to be "saved" from poverty, for example, the reality is often not that dire. In fact, I feel they have a more intuitive grasp of the simple essence of wealth than Japanese society, which has invited a decline in desire by pursuing uniform convenience. The appearance of wanting to be saved might just be a "tropical" attitude of wanting money or goods if they come easily.

Therefore, those who come to this country loudly proclaiming social business while misunderstanding how to handle wealth often end up disappointed or losing interest. There are many cases where, after a few years, it feels like "the day after the festival." We, who want to work steadily and for the long term, even if it's unglamorous, must exercise self-restraint and self-reflection. This is especially true when starting new initiatives with local people.

While maintaining the coffee company locally, I established Tamaki no Mori Co., Ltd., a risk control company in Japan, to help Japanese companies and entrepreneurs who enter South Asia with an "Ideal of Illusion" avoid the dangerous traps they are almost destined to fall into. This is my second "meddling" following the coffee business.